Item Detail
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27976
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0
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4
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English
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Monks, Nationalists, and the Emperor : The Mormon Struggle in Japan, 1901-1924
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Directions for Mormon Studies in the Twenty-First Century
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Salt Lake City, UT
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University of Utah Press
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49-71
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Shinji Takagi approaches the subject [of the internationalization of Mormonism] through a study of the LDS Church's mission in Japan in the first quarter of the twentieth century, generally deemed to be a dismal failure. As opposed to most of the literature on Mormon missionary endeavors that have taken a "supply-side" approach by focusing on the personality, work, and message of the missionaries, Takagi insists that Mormon missionary efforts must be understood from the perspective of the host culture, including a nuanced understanding of local, regional, and national dynamics. Takagi argues that Mormon missionaries' arrival in Japan in 1901 came at the worst possible moment, with the decline of Christian influence in the country and an upsurge of nationalism supported by Shinto and Buddhism. Through a careful study of local contexts, Takagi provides a helpful model for future studies of Mormon international missions. [Editor's summary]